Computer users are accustomed to using a mouse and keyboard as a way of interacting with a personal computer. While personal computers provide a number of advantages over written documents, most users continue to perform certain functions using printed paper. Some of these functions include reading and annotating written documents. In the case of annotations, the printed document assumes a greater significance because of the annotations placed on it by the user. One of the difficulties, however, with having a printed document with annotations is the later need to have the annotations entered back into the electronic form of the document. This requires the original user or another user to wade through the annotations and enter them into a personal computer. In some cases, a user will scan in the annotations and the original text, thereby creating a new document. These multiple steps make the interaction between the printed document and the electronic version of the document difficult to handle on a repeated basis. Further, scanned-in images are frequently non-modifiable. There may be no way to separate the annotations from the original text. This makes using the annotations difficult. Accordingly, an improved way of handling annotations is needed.
One technique of capturing handwritten information is by using an image capturing pen whose location may be determined during writing. One image capturing pen that provides this capability is the Anoto pen by Anoto Inc. This pen functions by using a camera to capture an image of paper encoded with a predefined pattern. An example of the image pattern is shown in FIG. 11. This pattern is used by the Anoto pen (by Anoto Inc.) to determine a location of an image capturing pen on a piece of paper.
In order to synchronize annotations and associate the annotations with content on a digital document, the corresponding paper document is typically printed with a representation of the underlying grid structure, e.g., an electronic interactive code (EIC) pattern. However, the task of printing the EIC pattern may be very demanding on the printer, requiring both an inordinate amount of memory as well as extensive processing times. The printing of an EIC pattern typically causes common GDI printing to be time consuming for the user.
Thus, it would be desirable to facilitate printing the corresponding paper document that contains both page content and the corresponding representation of the underlying grid structure. Any effective solution should consider both required memory and print times. Also, it is advantageous that the solution be printer independent for portability.